She Tried Her Best
by radnewsbarrett
Summary: Valerie Richards was ready for seven pleasant months taking care of the Overlook Hotel with the Torrances. However, she soon discovers that the hotel has other plans for her stay, and it will do anything to further them.
1. Chapter 1

"So, you're a musician?"

"Yes. I feel like some time up here would be a good chance for me to practice."

Valerie Richards sat politely across from Mr. Stuart Ullman, the manager of the Overlook Hotel. She smiled at him.

"Well, you seem perfectly qualified. However, there's one more thing."

"Yes?" Valerie asked, raising her eyebrows.

"We're putting someone else on the job with you." Valerie opened her mouth, but shut it. "Mr. Jack Torrance and his wife and son."

"Well, that's alright! Easier to distribute the work, right?" Valerie grinned. Mr. Ullman nodded, laughing a bit.

"Not to mention that it can be a bit difficult to spend five months in solitude. Being with new people might help lessen the feeling of, for lack of a better term, 'cabin fever'." Mr. Ullman stood, extending his arm to the door. "Are you ready for a tour? Hopefully Mr. Torrance and his family will arrive soon, but in the meantime, Mr. Dick Hallorann will show you through the kitchen."

Valerie nodded, standing up as well. "Thank you so much, Mr. Ullman." She shook his hand vigorously, smiling widely at him. She walked out the door, soon meeting with who she assumed to be Dick Hallorann.

"Hello, sir! My name's Valerie." She shook his hand, firmly grasping his hand.

"You have a fantastic handshake!" Dick commented, grinning. "I'm impressed." Valerie laughed, walking alongside Dick. "Well, anyways, here's the kitchen."

Valerie gazed at the kitchen, marveling at its size. "Wow, Dick, I don't think I've ever seen a kitchen this big!" she said loudly, examining a colander the size of a beach ball.

"Yes, it sure is a lot to take in. And it's a pain to work in, too," Dick quipped, garnering a snort from Valerie. "There are a couple storage rooms with canned food and the like right here," Dick said, gesturing to two doors on the back wall, "and that's about it." Valerie followed Dick out of the kitchen and down a hallway to the lobby.

Valerie chatted with Dick for a couple minutes; just small talk. After a while, Mr. Ullman walked out of his office and into the lobby, heading for the door. He greeted a man who looked to be in his thirties. He was accompanied by a woman and a young boy. "I guess those are the Torrances," Valerie mused.

She walked up to them as Mr. Ullman shook the man's hand. "Oh, Valerie!" Mr. Ullman looked at Valerie as she smiled warmly at the family. "This is Valerie Richards. She'll be staying the winter with you."

"I'm Jack," the man spoke. Valerie couldn't help but notice that he had a certain ease to his voice and his smile, as if he didn't have a care in the world. "This is my wife, Wendy, and my son Danny."

Valerie brushed a loose strand of golden hair behind her ear. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Jack, Wendy." She shook both their hands; Jack raised his eyebrows and grinned at her tight grip on his hand, while Wendy recoiled. "And hello, Danny!" She crouched down to his height, putting out her hand. Danny shook it, but he didn't smile at her.

Mr. Ullman cleared his throat. "Well, I should show you all to your rooms. Danny, would you like to stay with Mr. Hallorann?" Danny nodded, eyeing Valerie as he walked towards Dick. "Come with me." Jack, Wendy, and Valerie followed Mr. Ullman into the elevator.

They stopped at the third floor. Mr. Ullman walked them to the caretaker suite. "you can stay in the room next door, Valerie," he said kindly. Valerie nodded, watching from the doorway as Jack and Wendy examined their room.

As they rode the elevator down, Valerie crossed her arms over her chest. The silence was practically suffocating her. "So, what do you think of the place so far?" she asked Jack and Wendy, cracking a grin.

"It seems like a charming place," Jack responded, smiling. "I think I'll like it here."

"It's definitely confusing to get around!" Wendy added. Valerie laughed under her breath.

"I agree completely." By now, the elevator had stopped. They walked toward the hotel entrance, where Danny was already standing with Dick.

"So, you'll all be back next week. It was nice meeting you all!" Mr. Ullman said, waving goodbye as the four walked out of the hotel. Valerie looked back at Dick for one last moment and noticed him sending Danny a worried look. She waved at him, grinning, and he looked up suddenly. He waved back.

Valerie walked to her car, starting the engine. "We'll see you later!" She jumped when Jack called to her from his own car.

"Definitely! See you all next week!" She drove away from the hotel with a feeling that the next seven months would be very pleasant.

* * *

 _ok wow! it's been a while since i've written anything but here i am :) i have a lot of ideas for this so i'm going to do my best to stick with it!_


	2. Chapter 2

Next week, Valerie arrived at the hotel around noon. She dragged a couple bags behind her as she entered the hotel. It was a bit strange to see the hotel empty; last week it had been bustling with people.

"Hello, Valerie!" Valerie grinned when she heard Wendy call to her. She was standing in the elevator, Jack and Danny at her sides. She held the door open for Valerie.

Valerie just managed to squeeze in; she was pressed between Jack, a large suitcase, and the wall. "Close quarters, huh?" she muttered to Jack, laughing.

"Yep," Jack replied, laughing a little under his breath.

When the elevator reached their floor, Valerie was the first to jump out. "So, what numbers were our rooms again?" she asked Wendy, lugging her bags out of the elevator.

"Um... 335 and 336." Valerie nodded, slowing her pace so Wendy could catch up to her.

"So, after we get situated, how about we check out the boiler room together?" Wendy asked, smiling over at Valerie.

"Why wouldn't Jack come with us?" Valerie asked.

"He's a writer, y'see," Wendy explained, "and I figure he'd like to get started with his new project."

"Oh, I see," Valerie responded. She stopped suddenly when she saw her door. "I'll be out in a minute, Wendy."

She set her bags on the bed and hung up all her clothes in the closet. Her room was nice; it had a queen size bed facing a dresser with a mirror. There was a bathroom at the other end of the room. She pulled her hair up in a bun and examined her face in the mirror for a moment, then turned away and joined Wendy in the hallway.

Working the boiler room was easy enough; you had to turn off the boiler currently in use after seven days, then turn on the next one. The cycle repeated. After a few hours of fiddling around with the machinery, Valerie and Wendy figured they knew everything they had to.

Wendy and Valerie walked up to the ground floor lobby, where Jack was writing. Danny was sitting at the top of the stairs, playing with his firetruck beside him. "Hi, Danny!" Valerie said, sitting cross-legged beside him. "I didn't know you liked firetrucks."

He sat in silence, continuing to play with the truck. "Danny?" Valerie repeated, and her disappointment was present in her voice.

"I don't wanna talk to you," Danny murmured.

"Danny!" Wendy scolded, seeming partly angry and partly surprised. "That was very rude of you, young man - "

"No, no, it's fine," Valerie said, dejected. She stood up and started walking away, waving briefly at Danny. Wendy hurried after her, watching Danny play with his toy truck.

"I'm so sorry, Valerie, I don't know why he - "

"No, it's fine, really. I know little kids can be fussy like that." Valerie cracked her knuckles.

"Well, anyways..." Wendy smiled halfheartedly. "How about we make sandwiches and we have some dinner with Jack?"

"That sounds nice." Valerie started to head towards the kitchen.

She and Wendy made four sandwiches and grabbed a bag of chips. They headed to the ballroom that Mr. Ullman had told them about and set the food down. "Do you wanna go get Danny?" Wendy asked.

"No, I don't think he wants to see me," Valerie responded, bitterly. "I'll get Jack."

She stood up and left the room. It took her a little while to figure out which way to go, but soon she found Jack.

He was sitting at his typewriter, but he wasn't typing anything. Valerie walked up to him. "Hi, Jack."

He jumped, whipping his head around. He relaxed when he saw it was Valerie. "God, you scared me!" he said, laughing. Valerie smiled. Jack had a full, bellowing laugh that filled up the whole room.

"Sorry. Did I interrupt you?" she asked, and Jack shook his head.

"No, I think I've gotten all my thoughts for the day down," he mused, flipping through the papers he had.

"That's good, because Wendy and I made some sandwiches, if you wanna join us." Jack's face lit up.

"Perfect, I'm starving." He stood up. "Lead the way!" Valerie and Jack walked back to the ballroom. After taking a couple turns, Valerie soon realized she was lost. She felt a shiver go down her spine when Jack grabbed her hand to guide her through the hallways. "The ballroom, right?" Valerie nodded, feeling too flustered to do much of anything else. "I've done some exploring in between writing." He looked back at her and winked.

Finally, they made it to the ballroom. Wendy sat at a table near the front of the room, with Danny sitting in her lap. "Hey, honey," Jack said, giving Wendy a short peck on the lips. At that moment, Valerie came to her senses. She felt sick to her stomach thinking about how she had reacted when he took her hand. He was married, for God's sake! Valerie sighed as she sat down, across from Jack and next to Wendy.

"So, Jack... What are you writing about?" Valerie asked nonchalantly, cutting her sandwich in half.

"Well, it's a play, for starters," Jack replied, "and it's about a girl who gets pulled into a murder mystery after she's found at the crime scene."

"Oh, that sounds interesting!" Valerie said, as enthusiastically as she could. She picked up her sandwich, unable to think of anything else to say.

Her starting to eat seemed to remind Jack, Wendy, and Danny that they had sandwiches sitting in front of them, so they started eating too. It was silent, but not uncomfortable. Valerie ate a couple chips.

"Did you make these, Valerie?" Jack asked suddenly. Valerie found the question odd.

"Well, yeah, I put the peanut butter and jelly on the bread if that's what you're asking." She almost laughed, the question was so absurd to her - especially coming from Jack.

"Well, I don't - I don't know how to explain it - but you make really good sandwiches."

Valerie gave Jack a confused look, but accepted the strange compliment anyways. "Uh, thanks, I guess." She glanced at Wendy and saw that she was just as confused as Valerie was. She looked over at Danny and was surprised to see him staring at her with a blank gaze that almost seemed to hold contempt. She stood up. "Well, I'll take everyone's plates, if you want."

She walked around and picked up the plates, then went back to the kitchen. She washed them silently, still pondering about Jack's sudden fixation on her and Danny's seeming hatred towards her. It made her very upset that Danny didn't like her; she'd always adored children, and they adored her. She hoped she would be able to find time to talk with Danny soon. _Then again,_ she thought, a bitter smile growing on her face, _I'm sure I'll find time._ _I'm stuck with him here for the next seven months, aren't I?_

* * *

 **A/N: hey everyone! thanks for reading. ive been thinking about the plot of this fanfiction a lot, and i have a lot of interesting ideas! im excited to get them down. also, thank you so much IglooPenguin231! it means so much that you like this! :)**


	3. Chapter 3

Later that night, Valerie was taking a walk around the hotel, just to get accustomed to it. She was examining some old photographs when she felt something smash against her ankle.

"Shit!" she hissed, bending down to grab her ankle. She jumped back when she saw Danny, sitting on his tricycle.

"Hey, Danny!" She squatted so she could look him in the eyes. "Did you just bump into me?" He did nothing. "Well, it's alright. Just make sure you - "

Before she could finish, Danny started riding away. Valerie stood up, watching him go. She started to turn away, but she stopped herself. She needed to know why he wouldn't talk to her. "Danny!" she yelled, running after him. "I need to talk to you!" She sped up, just as he was about to turn a corner. "Please, Danny!"

He stopped. Valerie let go of a huge sigh and crouched next to him. "Danny, please. I need to know why you don't like me. Do I make you upset? I can try to fix whatever I'm - "

"It's because you kissed Daddy."

Valerie froze. "What?"

Danny looked down, his voice low and mumbling. "Tony showed me you and Daddy kissing. It was your fault."

"Who's Tony?" That was the only thing Valerie could think to say.

"He's the little boy in my mouth. He shows me things. And that's what he showed me."

Valerie took a deep breath; this was so outrageous. Sometimes she forgot just how ridiculous children's imaginations could get. "Danny, I promise from the bottom of my heart, I have never kissed your father. He would tell you the same thing, I swear."

Danny did nothing but stare at his lap; then, after a minute, he lifted his left hand and outstretched his index finger. He bent it. "She's telling the truth, Danny," he said, in a scratchy voice. "It hasn't happened... But it's going to."

Valerie looked down at Danny, concerned. "Danny, just wait. I'll never do anything like that to your father, I promise." Danny lowered his hand, looking at Valerie warily.

"Are you sure you promise?" Danny asked. "Cross your heart?"

Valerie nodded solemnly, making an X over her heart with her finger. "Cross my heart and hope to die."

Danny smiled, seeming satisfied with the vow. "Okay. We can be friends, I guess."

"Alright!" She stood, bending down to talk to Danny. "How about we have some ice cream?"

Danny smiled, and he rode towards the kitchen. Valerie followed closely. She still felt a little unsettled about what Danny was saying. She figured she would ask Wendy about it later.

She got to the kitchen, where Danny was waiting at the table, swinging his legs back and forth under the table. "Alright, do you like chocolate or vanilla?" Valerie asked, grabbing a bowl.

"Chocolate, please," Danny responded, and Valerie could hear that he was smiling.

"Comin' right up!" Valerie got the ice cream out of the freezer and made Danny a small bowl. She set it in front of him and sat down next to him.

"I need a spoon," Danny told Valerie.

She looked in the giant spoon drawer, and she was surprised to see a few small spoons, with children's characters on the handles. _Maybe Mr. Ullman has kids_ , she thought to herself briefly.

"Not Mickey, not Roadrunner... Bugs Bunny." Valerie picked up the spoon and gave it to Danny, smiling.

"Thanks, Valerie!" Valerie leaned back in her chair.

"Hey, guys!" Valerie nearly jumped out of her chair when she heard Wendy's voice.

"Hi, Wendy!" Valerie stood up and walked to her. "I just gave Danny a little ice cream, two scoops."

"That's nice of you." Wendy looked over at Danny. "What's the occasion?"

"Well, Danny and I are friends now. I think he's decided that he likes me."

"Oh, that's just wonderful!" Wendy said, putting a hand on Valerie's arm.

"Oh, um... Do you know who Tony is?" Valerie asked, a bit hesitantly. She didn't want to have to bring up what 'Tony' had said.

Wendy's smile seemed to fall a bit, and she pulled her arm away from Valerie. "He's just his imaginary friend." Valerie nodded.

"Alright, I see." Valerie looked at Danny, who was eating happily.

"Oh, they had the cutest little Bugs Bunny spoon, and I know that's his favorite, so I gave it to him."

Wendy smiled, but soon it changed to a puzzled look. "How do you know that's his favorite?"

Valerie blinked; she had no idea. "Uh... Lucky guess?" Wendy shrugged.

"Well, I'm going to bed. Danny?" Danny got off the chair and walked to Wendy. "Goodnight, Valerie." Danny waved as they walked away.

Valerie really didn't feel that tired, so she headed to the ballroom, which she noticed was called the 'gold room'. She sat down, humming to herself.

"Hey, Valerie." Jack walked towards her, sitting across from her. She smiled halfheartedly at him; "Tony's" premonitions were still fresh in her mind.

"Hey, you're a, um...musician, right?" Jack asked suddenly, leaning across the table. Valerie nodded, sliding back in her chair a bit. "Well, I found something you might like." Jack stood, motioning for Valerie to follow him. Valerie hesitated a bit, prompting Jack to turn around. "What is it? Something wrong?" Valerie shook her head, standing and following Jack. She wasn't about to let Danny's imaginary friend keep her from even talking to Jack.

Jack opened a closet door, and he pushed out a dusty piano. "Oh, wow!" Valerie exclaimed, grabbing the bench that went with it from the back of the closet. "This is wonderful."

She sat down, running her hands over the keys. She played a couple chords; to her surprise, the piano was relatively in tune. "You should play something," Jack said, leaning down to watch Valerie.

"Well, if you say so," she laughed, looking up at Jack briefly. She started playing the first thing that came to mind, _The Phantom of the Opera_. When she looked back at Jack his eyebrows were furrowed; he looked like he was trying to identify the song.

When she was done, Jack gave her a brief round of applause with a joking grin on his face. He let out one of his large, bellowing laughs that seemed to fill the whole room. "Bravo, bravo!" he cried. Valerie laughed with him, and thanked him. "What was that, anyway?" Jack asked.

"It was The Phantom of the Opera," Valerie answered, standing up. "It's pretty popular." She leaned against the closet door, looking at Jack from across the piano.

"You know, if I wasn't so tied up with my play, I'd love for you to teach me how to do that." Jack grinned widely.

"Well, if you find some time, you know where to find me," Valerie replied, laughing. Jack laughed with her. "Hey, uh... It's getting late. I'm going to bed."

Jack nodded. "I guess I will too." The two walked to the elevator together, chatting about Jack's play. Once they got to their bedrooms, they stood between the two doors, facing each other.

"Well, good night," Valerie said, turning away. Jack bid her the same and left into his room. Valerie watched his door close all the way, then turned and opened her own door.

She changed into a t-shirt and shorts and lay down on her bed, sighing. She curled up against the comforter. As she slowly drifted to sleep, she heard the words "thank you" in her head. It was in Danny's voice.

* * *

 **A/N: hi, thanks for reading! i hope you guys liked this chapter, and the next one will be out soon!**


	4. Chapter 4

After a few weeks, Valerie had finally gotten used to being around the Torrances. They were more like friends that acquaintances now.

"Hey, Wendy. Do you want to take a walk through that maze outside?" Valerie asked. "I heard it was going to snow tonight, so I guess this is our last chance." Wendy nodded, flipping the last switch on the boiler.

"Do you want to ask Jack if he wants to come?"

"Yeah, sure!" Valerie went upstairs, almost giddy to go outside. She'd been spending so much time figuring out the machinery of the hotel that she had no time to get out.

She found Jack writing. "Hey, Jack." He looked up, turning around when he heard Valerie's voice. "How's the play going?"

"It's going well." Jack stood up, tearing a paper out of the typewriter.

"That's good. I can't wait to read it." Valerie brushed her hair behind her ear. "I was wondering... Do you want to go on a walk with me and Wendy?"

"Of course!" Jack answered, pushing his chair in. However, after a moment, Jack's expression fell a bit. "Oh, but we can't leave Danny alone in here, can we?"

Valerie shook her head. "No, we can't, you're right. I'll stay with him if you - "

"Actually, now that I think about it, he felt a little warm, like a fever. I think he needs his mother." Jack had a worried look on his face.

Valerie shrugged. "Really, I can take care of him - "

"No!" Valerie jumped when Jack shouted, slamming his hand down on the top of his chair. He corrected himself immediately, bringing his hand in close to his chest. "Wendy should do it. She knows all about his health issues."

Valerie nodded, nervously picking at her nails. "Well, alright. Can you tell her, please?"

Jack nodded, and Valerie could tell that he wanted to apologize for raising his voice. "Yes. Yes, I'll... I'll meet you outside." Valerie walked away briskly, taking a deep breath. Her heart was pounding still after hearing Jack raise his voice at her.

Valerie paced outside, waiting anxiously. After about ten minutes, Jack walked towards her. "She said Danny did have a fever. So... Shall we?" Valerie nodded, starting into the maze.

She and Jack were silent for a while, until Jack cleared his throat. "So... Phantom of the Opera. Have you ever been in it?"

"Yes, once. I was Christine, the main character. It was just a local thing, but it was a lot of fun." Valerie smiled as she remembered how exciting it was to play the lead.

"Well, I had my own experience with stardom a while back," Jack said, laughing a bit.

"What?" Valerie asked, smiling.

"Well... I had a book of about twenty short stories. It took an unbelievably long time to publish it, but I did. It had been out for a few weeks, then _completely_ out of the blue – " Jack spread his arms out in front of him grandly – "I get a letter from John Updike!"

Valerie gasped, grinning widely. "Well what did it say?"

"It said 'This is an impressive collection, _kid_.' _"_ Jack put extra emphasis on the word 'kid', making Valerie laugh. "'Nice job.' And that was my short encounter with the limelight." Valerie almost snorted, she was laughing so hard.

"That's really great, Jack." Valerie rolled her short sleeves up. "Really, really cool." She looked over at Jack, and he was smiling, probably reminiscing on the joy of receiving that letter.

"Looks like we've reached the center." Valerie was torn from her thoughts when Jack spoke. There were three benches in the middle of the hedges. "Wanna head back?"

"Yeah, sure." Valerie turned around and started walking back, chatting with Jack. As they walked, Valerie started to get a headache, but she thought nothing of it.

When they reached the exit, Valerie gazed at Jack. He turned to face her. "You're really fun to talk to, Valerie. Wendy's usually too interested in Danny to talk about anything of value." Valerie frowned a bit. "I do love having her with me, though, even if she doesn't provide good conversation." Valerie nodded. "But really, what's the point of being with someone if they can't keep up with you?"`Jack took a step towards Valerie, and she just watched him.

"Shit!" she yelled suddenly, grabbing her head with both hands. Her head was splitting; it was like someone had smashed her over the head with a baseball bat. She could hear something, almost like a voice in the back of her head, through the haze of pain. It was something like a child's voice. She crouched down. " _Goddamn_ , this hurts!" she groaned.

Jack crouched down next to her. "Here, let me help you up." He let her grab his arm and pull herself up. She walked inside slowly, with Jack's arm around her for support.

By the time she got inside, her headache had subsided majorly. She sighed in relief, sinking into a chair in the lobby. "Thank you, Jack," she said, sighing. "That was crazy. I thought I was gonna pass out."

"I'm just glad you're alright." Jack turned back to look at her one more time. "I'm going to do some writing."

"Alright." Valerie waved at him. "And make sure you let me read it sometime, alright?" Jack nodded, smiling.

Valerie stood up and headed to her room. All she wanted was a hot shower and a nap, then she would make some dinner. She got to her room and was about to enter when Wendy walked out of her own room.

"Hey, Valerie!" she said, smiling. "How was it outside?"

"It was nice," she replied. "I got the worst headache I've ever had while I was out there. God, it was awful."

"Oh, I'm sorry! Are you alright now?" Wendy asked hurriedly.

"No, no, I'm alright now," Valerie responded, cutting Wendy off with a wave. "Other than that, it was pretty warm out there. Jack and I talked about his play for the most part."

"Well, I'm glad the two of you had fun." Valerie could see that Wendy was bitter, and she had every right to be. If their places were switched, Valerie would have strangled Wendy by now. "Danny really had quite the fever. I'm glad I stayed in with him." Valerie nodded.

"Well, I'm going to take a shower, then take a quick nap. I'll be up in a couple hours to make some dinner!" Wendy said goodbye and was about to leave when Valerie stopped her. "Can I see how Danny's holding up?"

Wendy let Valerie in, stepping aside in the doorway. Valerie knelt down next to Danny's bed, smiling at him.

"How are you, Danny?" she asked, holding his hand and giving it a little squeeze. "Hanging in there?"

Danny nodded. "Yes." He paused for a moment. "Tony saw you and Daddy. I'm sorry if he hurt you."

Valerie felt her heart skip a beat. She stared at Danny for a long time, until she finally managed to stammer out a response. "Oh. Okay." She gave Danny a little hug and stood up abruptly, nearly knocking down the lamp next to Danny's bed. She hurried to her room without saying goodbye to Wendy.

She sat on her bed, in shock. Had Danny – Tony – really given her that splitting headache? She could barely believe it. She walked to her bathroom, trying to figure out how a human could possibly cause pain like that. She stepped in the shower, after not coming up with any answers. She closed her eyes, listening to the pattering of the water as it hit the floor.

* * *

 **A/N: hey everyone! thanks so much for reading! the next chapter might take a little longer to be posted than the others have.**


	5. Chapter 5

The next week came by, and Valerie was beginning to hate her life at the Overlook. Wendy was so obviously trying to conceal her hatred for her, and Jack wasn't helping anything. She had to admit, she loved talking with him, but each time she so much as looked at him, Wendy started going on about how Valerie had messed up something in the boiler room, or how she used all the hot shower water, or how she burnt the toast for breakfast. It didn't help that Jack seemed constantly angry at Wendy.

Valerie woke up at six in the morning sharp. She rolled onto her back and stared at the ceiling. She could hear Wendy and Danny in the other room. She sighed, rolling back onto her stomach and covering her head with her pillow. For a moment she wondered where Jack was, and as much as she hated herself for it, she felt herself smile at the thought of him.

She suddenly sat up. She heard someone knocking on her door, so she stood up and opened the door. She was shocked to see woman older than her dressed in a black, tight-fitting dress. She had a very beautiful face, covered by lots of makeup. "Who are you?"

The woman smirked, and Valerie noticed a cigarette dangling in her hand. "Just come with me, to my room."

Valerie followed the woman, still confused about how she got into the hotel. Wasn't is just her and the Torrances? Nevertheless, she was desperate to talk to someone.

After taking the elevator down a floor, the woman walked Valerie to room 237. She stopped as the woman walked inside. Once again, her head started to ache, but she took a deep breath and stepped into the room. The second her foot touched the purple carpet, her head cleared.

She sat down next to the woman on the bed. "So, who are you?" Valerie asked again.

"Just a guest," the woman responded, taking a drag on her cigarette. Valerie watched, making an effort not to cough when smoke was puffed into her face. "Hey, you look pretty sad. Is there anything wrong?"

Valerie took a deep breath. "Well, I'm staying here with a family - Jack and Wendy and their son Danny. I feel so terrible, I - " Valerie couldn't get the words out of her mouth - "I can't take my eyes off Jack. I want to spend time with him, I want to - God, I want to kiss him!" Valerie sobbed, covering her face. She could hear Danny in her head - _"Are you sure you promise? Cross your heart?"_

The woman frowned, wrapping her arms around Valerie. "It's alright, hon," she murmured. "You can't help these things, dear." They sat like that for a while, until Valerie managed to stop crying.

Valerie leaned back, rubbing her eyes. "I think that's just what I needed." She smiled over at the woman. "Thanks for listening."

"Oh, it's no problem." The woman took another drag. "I've been having troubles with my man too. He took off on me this morning. He'll be back soon, I'm sure."

Valerie nodded. "I'm sorry." She and the woman sat in silence for a bit. "So, what brought you to the Overlook?"

"I'm here for the party in three days."

"Party?" Valerie wondered, intrigued. "What party?"

"The party's in honor of the new manager. It's in the Gold Room downstairs. You gonna come?"

"Why not?" Valerie said, shrugging. "Being with Wendy is so goddamn _stifling_ , I need a break."

"Well, I'll see you then, hon."

Valerie stood up and started to leave, but she paused. "Hey, can I use your bathroom? I'm sure my eyes are really red and - "

Valerie gasped when the woman grabbed her arm and pulled her back. "No!" she shouted, her eyes wide. She quickly let go of Valerie's arm, nervously fidgeting with her dress. "It's - it's a mess in there."

Valerie frowned, turning towards the door. "Well, I'll see you later." She left, rubbing her eyes.

She got dressed, then went to the basement and reset the boiler room to the next group of rooms. She remembered that it was only seven in the morning, so she went to the kitchen to make some breakfast.

She made eggs and bacon for everyone. She started to carry it to the Gold Room, but she remembered the party in three days. She didn't want to dirty anything in there, so she decided they would eat at a large table in the kitchen instead. She got Jack, Wendy, and Danny, and they all say down to eat.

"So, Valerie. Why aren't we eating in the Gold Room?" Wendy asked.

Valerie had to suppress a smirk; she loved the fact that she knew something Wendy didn't. "I don't know, it's kind of dusty in there."

Jack nodded. "Yeah, I've noticed that too." Valerie looked over at him, frowning. She almost wished he hadn't spoken; Wendy looked even more annoyed at Valerie after Jack spoke.

"Oh, Valerie?" Wendy said, her voice lofty. "You set the boiler to the wrong set of rooms."

Valerie stared down at her plate, trying her hardest not to scowl. She just wanted to rip Wendy's goddamn head off -

"Valerie." Valerie looked up when she heard Danny speak. "I wanna show you my toy trucks."

Valerie was relieved to get a chance to leave. "Alright Danny, as long as it's okay with your parents." Valerie looked over at Wendy, and she nodded.

Valerie followed Danny down the hallways, until he stopped in front of the elevator. "I don't wanna show you anything. I could tell you didn't wanna talk to Mommy anymore."

Valerie crouched down next to Danny and hugged him tightly. "Oh, Danny, you're so wonderful. You're so, so..."

"It's okay," Danny said quietly into her ear. "You can cry."

Valerie sobbed. "Oh, Danny, I'm sorry," she cried, stroking his hair. "I'm losing my mind in here, Danny. I'm going crazy."

Danny let go of Valerie. "My mommy's been really mad. I know it's because of you."

Valerie hiccuped, and another sob wracked her body. "Danny, I - I know. I'm trying my hardest, Danny, I swear to you - "

"Tony told me you and Daddy are in love."

Valerie's eyes widened. "We aren't! I know your parents are happy, and in - in love, and I'm not going to come between them!" Valerie felt like she was speaking more to herself than to Danny. "I won't, I won't, I promise." Her voice had faded to a whisper.

Danny shook his head. "I believe you, but Tony doesn't. He says you're gonna kiss Daddy and something bad'll happen." Danny's voice was low, and he was staring at his feet.

Valerie took Danny's chin in her hand and lifted it up gently. "Danny, I swear I won't. I crossed my heart, remember?" Danny nodded, almost smiling. "You don't have to worry."

Valerie stood up, wiping the tears out of her eyes. Her mascara was smudged all over her hands. "Danny, can you tell your mother that I'll be fixing up some of the machines in the basement for the rest of the day?" Danny nodded and walked away.

Valerie sighed deeply. She didn't know what to think anymore. She lied about not being in love with Jack. He was the love of her life, but the last thing she wanted was to hurt Danny. She walked down to the basement and sat down in a chair. She started to cry again. She cried until her head was pounding and her throat burned.

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 **A/N: thanks for reading, and sorry for taking so long! it took me way too long to figure out what to write lol**


	6. Chapter 6

It was eight o'clock on the night of the party. Valerie stood in the mirror, examining her face. She wanted to look her best for the party. She made sure she looked alright, and she headed to the Gold Room.

The second she stepped into the room, she almost laughed out loud with joy. The room was filled with people, all talking and dancing. Valerie walked around for a bit, and people greeted her as she passed them.

She found her friend from room 237 after a while. "Hi!" she said, grinning. "How are you?"

The woman shrugged, staring at the long cigarette holder in her hand. "I'm alright. He hasn't come back yet." Valerie frowned. The woman glanced up at Valerie and noticed her frown, so she smiled. "Oh, I'll be alright, dear. I promise." Valerie nodded, smiling back at the woman.

Valerie headed to the bar for a drink. "Miss Richards," the bartender said, smiling politely. "What will it be?"

"Uh... I'll have a Manhattan."

"Coming right up, Miss Richards."

Valerie watched the bartender as he prepared the drink. She met his gaze in the mirror behind the bar. "So, what's your name?" she asked, clasping her hands together.

"Lloyd." Valerie smiled when Lloyd turned around with the drink.

"God, it's been...two months since I've had a drink. Two months, yeah." Valerie took a sip of the Manhattan, closing her eyes. She sighed as she set the glass down. "Wow."

"So, how has the Overlook been treating you, Miss Richards?" Lloyd asked, turning to face the mirrors as he prepared someone else's drink.

"It's amazing, this is the biggest hotel I've ever been to... It's just I haven't had the best time with the people I'm staying with." Valerie laughed shortly.

Lloyd cocked an eyebrow as he glanced back at Valerie. "I heard you were staying with Mr. Torrance. Isn't he good company?"

"Well, yes, he's amazing. It's just..." Valerie sighed. "It's his wife. She hates me. I mean, I get why. She's jealous, I understand. It's just so terrible trying to talk with her." Valerie stared into her glass.

"You shouldn't have to put up with that." Valerie looked up at Lloyd, a bit taken aback. "Pardon my forwardness, Miss Richards, but Mr. Torrance wants you, doesn't he?"

It took Valerie a moment to stammer a response. "Well, maybe, I don't - "

"He does. And you want him. You shouldn't let anyone keep you from him," Lloyd continued, cutting Valerie off.

"But he's a married man! For God's sake, I shouldn't be - "

"Another drink?" Valerie paused when Lloyd set another glass in front of her. She stared at it for a minute, until finally picking it up and taking a swig.

"Thanks, Lloyd." She reached over the counter and patted his shoulder. "You're a good man."

"It's my pleasure." Valerie finished her drink and stood up, taking another look around the room. She started walking, not really sure of where she was going.

Suddenly, someone bumped into her as she walked past the bathrooms. "Oh, sorry!" she said, grabbing onto their shoulder to steady herself. "I didn't mean to - "

Valerie forgot what she was about to say when she saw Jack looking back at her. She immediately let go of his shoulder, looking down at her feet. "Hey, Jack. I didn't expect to see you here." Her head was starting to pound, and in her mind all she could hear was Danny's warning.

"Yeah, me neither!" Valerie looked back up at Jack, and she felt herself smile. He just had an air about him that made him so easy to talk to. Valerie loved it.

Jack grinned at her. "So, are you enjoying the party so far?" Valerie nodded. "Have you met Lloyd? We're good friends. Best damn bartender I've ever met."

"Yeah, we chatted for a while! He seems nice," Valerie responded. She didn't want to bring up their conversation about him, so she quickly changed the subject. "You know, the music in here is really good."

Jack raised his eyebrows. "Really? I hadn't even been listening." He stood and listened to the music. Valerie hummed along.

"Hey, I performed this once," Valerie commented when a new song came on. "This is music from the 40's, maybe? It has the right style."

Jack nodded, and he took Valerie's hand in his. "You're so smart, Valerie. You're so much smarter than Wendy." Valerie felt her headache start to get worse, but she did her best to ignore it.

"Wendy's ruined my life. The only goddamn good thing she's done is given me Danny. He likes me better, you know." The amount of pain Valerie was in was staggering. Her legs gave in, and Jack caught her, holding her a little too tightly in his arms.

"You're the one I love, Valerie." She could smell the whiskey on his breath. "I love you more than I ever loved her." Valerie hated how much she loved hearing that.

He leaned closer and closer, until their noses were touching, but then he suddenly paused. He seemed like he was questioning something. Valerie gathered her strength and pushed her lips onto his. Suddenly all her pain cleared.

Jack staggered for a moment, but Valerie righted him, wrapping her arms around his neck. Jack ran his hands over the sides of Valerie's face, eventually placing them on her hips. It felt like time stopped; nothing else existed in the world except for Jack, and Valerie, and - _shit_.

Valerie let go of Jack, tears springing to her eyes. "Oh, Jack, I'm sorry, Wendy, I didn't mean to do it, I'm sorry!" She sunk to the ground, sobbing. Jack crouched down next to her.

"What's wrong?" he asked gently, taking Valerie's hand. She looked up at him, and her nose was running.

"Jack, you have a wife and a son. Wendy - "

" _Fuck Wendy!_ " Jack shouted, slamming his fist on the ground. This sent Valerie into hysterics, and she shrieked, covering her face with her hands. "I'm sick of Wendy fucking up my life," Jack hissed. He gently lifted Valerie's head and met her eyes. "It's you and me, Valerie."

Valerie took a deep breath, her bottom lip wobbling. "I-I love you, Jack. I really do, I promise. I just don't want to - "

Jack cut her off by kissing her again, holding her hands. Valerie stifled a cry when Jack squeezed her hand tightly. He leaned back, running his hand through Valerie's hair. "It's you and me, Val. Can I call you Val?"

Valerie nodded, her whole body shaking. "Go-go ahead."

Jack helped Valerie stand, and they walked out of the Gold Room together. Jack waved at a bald waiter on the way out. "Valerie, are you scared of me?" Jack asked suddenly, after minutes of silence. Valerie hastily shook her head. "You're sure?" Valerie nodded. "Because I love you. I would never hurt you. Ever."

Valerie smiled weakly. "I love you too, Jack." She intertwined her hand in Jack's.

They rode the elevator up to the third floor and walked to their rooms. They stood between the doors. They stared at each other. "...Jack?" Valerie asked, her voice quiet and timid.

"Yes?" he replied.

"Will you stay in my room tonight? I feel sick and I don't wanna be alone and I - " Valerie didn't realize that she was speaking too fast to understand.

"Yes." Jack gave Valerie a small smile. "I will." Jack reached out and opened the door to Valerie's room. He kicked his shoes off and watched as Valerie did the same. He sat down on the edge of the bed, and Valerie sat next to him, letting him wrap his arms around her. He held her like that for a long time, until he noticed that she was asleep. He lay her down on the bed and turned away, staring at his hands. He looked at the wall and could hear Wendy's footsteps through it. He grinned.

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 **A/N: hey guys! school is out so ill probably get the next chapter out soon. thanks so much for reading and leave a review! :)**


	7. Chapter 7

The first thing Valerie noticed when she woke up was that Jack was gone. She rolled over and stood up, rubbing her eyes. "Jack?" she murmured, even though she knew he wasn't there. She walked outside, looking down the hallway.

She felt her heart catch in her throat when she saw two young girls at the end of the hallway. Their dresses were soaked in blood. She took a couple tentative steps toward them, but she stopped when the girls turned away from her. They turned the corner and left. Valerie ran her hands through her hair as she turned to Jack and Wendy's room.

She knocked on the door a couple times. After a moment, Wendy answered. Her eyes were red and her face was streaked with tears. "What - what's wrong?"

Wendy sobbed, letting Valerie in. "It's Danny, he won't - he won't respond. He'll only answer to Tony." Wendy reached desperately for a cigarette and lit it. "Jack really lashed out at me the other day and Danny must've heard it and he hasn't been right since."

Valerie frowned. "Oh, God... Can I talk to him?" she asked. She could see that Wendy was considering saying no, and she almost reached out and slapped her for it.

"...Go ahead. He's in his room." Valerie thanked her and walked into Danny's room.

"Hey, Danny," she said quietly. She sat down on the side of the bed. "How are you?"

"Danny's not here, Miss Richards," he grumbled.

"What? What happened?" Valerie asked, desperation rising in her voice.

"He won't tell you. You went back on your word." Valerie felt tears building in her eyes.

"I'm sorry. I'm so, so, sorry." She wanted to hug him but she couldn't bare to look him in the eyes any longer. She left, only saying "I'm sorry" to Wendy as she closed the door behind her.

She couldn't stop the sobs wracking her body. She kept walking, holding her shaking hand over her mouth. Suddenly she froze when the noticed the room she was by.

It was room 237. She breathed a sigh of relief; surely she would be able to talk to her friend. She opened the door and went inside; she was taken aback by the stench of smoke.

She looked around for her, but found only a lit cigarette on the bedside table. Valerie sat on the bed, deciding to wait for her, but she caught the bathroom door out of the corner of her eye.

She thought back to the last time she'd been here, and couldn't help but be curious about what was in the bathroom that her friend wanted to keep hidden. She stood up and walked to the bathroom, and she pushed the door open.

She inspected everything, until finally she was left with the shower. She pulled the curtain back and shrieked, stumbling back.

The rotting corpse of an old woman lay floating in the tub. Valerie stared in horror as a sick laugh began to echo from the body's mouth, and it slowly began to rise. Valerie backed away, unable to tear her gaze away. She found herself grotesquely transfixed by the woman.

The second she was out of the room, she slammed the door. Her heart was pounding. As she leaned against the door, she decided to look for Jack. He was the only person she could go to now.

She went to the Colorado Lounge, hoping to find him writing. However, his chair was empty. She looked around the lobby, but again found no sign of him.

Finally, she found him in the Gold Room; it felt even larger now that all the guests of last night's party were gone. "Jack?" she said quietly. He turned around, tense, but he relaxed when he saw who it was. "Hi."

Jack stepped off the bar stool and went to her. "What's wrong?" he asked, noticing her tear-streaked face.

"Everything's wrong, Jack," she responded tearfully. "There's something wrong with Danny and I don't know what to do."

Jack frowned, leading Valerie to a couch. They sat down, Jack wrapping his arm around Valerie almost protectively. "Listen, I talked to a man last night at the party, Delbert Grady." The name vaguely registered with Valerie. "We spoke for a while, and he helped me realize something that I think I've known for a long time."

"What?" Valerie asked. She couldn't help but notice how much weaker her voice was than Jack's.

"There's only one thing we can do. You know that Wendy and Danny are in our way. They're the only things keeping us from being together."

Valerie's eyes widened as she began to put the pieces together. "What do you - "

"They have to die, Valerie. They _have_ to. I love you, and I want to be with you." Valerie was shocked beyond belief. She couldn't understand what she was hearing.

"Jack, I don't... I don't get it." She sat up, removing herself from Jack's embrace. "You can't do that. You can't do that."

Jack shook head. "I can do it, and I will - because I _have_ to. They're ruining my life - they're ruining _our_ life. Together." He leaned toward her and kissed her forehead. "I'm doing it for us, Val."

Valerie had started crying. Tears streamed down her face and rolled down her neck. She felt a sob rise up in her throat as Jack leaned away from her. She honestly had no idea how to respond to Jack. She knew that killing was, by principle, wrong, and the last thing she wanted was to do harm to Wendy and Danny. But, at the same time, she realized that what Jack was saying rung some truth.

Wendy constantly switched between being her friend and her enemy, and it was impossible to tell when it would happen. The simplest things sent Wendy into a terrible mood, and she took it out on Valerie, because she was the source of a lot of her problems already. And Danny, God, Valerie loved Danny more than any other child in the world, but he was gone. Danny wasn't in that body, there was someone speaking through him. Anyways, Danny would always resent her for going against her promise. She realized fully that now, Jack was the only one she had, her only constant.

As she nodded 'yes' her head felt like it weighed tons.

Jack hugged Valerie tightly, stroking her hair. "It's for the best," he whispered. "I promise." Valerie swallowed back her sobs and sat in Jack's arms, closing her eyes.

Jack stood after a while and sat at the bar. "I'm gonna go to my room," Valerie called. Jack turned around and waved as she left.

She walked to her room, barely wanting to move her legs. She reached her room and laid on her bed. She closed her eyes and listened to the sound of Wendy trying in vain to talk to Danny. Eventually, she stopped, and Valerie heard the TV set turn on soon after. Valerie felt a scowl pull at her lips as she thought about all the problems Wendy had caused for her already. Her death would be a relief, a pressure off of Valerie and Jack's shoulders. It must be the right thing to do.

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 **A/N: hey guys! sorry for taking so long with chapter, but the next chapter will hopefully come out pretty quick! thanks for reading! :)**


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